Schools and businesses have also had to shut down in a bid to contain the highly contagious virus, which kills 80 people every year.

It could be the UK’s worst outbreak of the deadly norovirus disease.

Bombshell figures from the Health Protection Agency reveal that victims of the virus are at a five-year high. There have been 2,630 confirmed cases so far this year – a rise of nearly 70% on the same period in 2011.

But for every reported case, doctors have calculated that there are likely to be another 288 unreported sufferers.

And that means a staggering 757,440 Brits could be affected by the debilitating stomach bug in what would be the worst start to the norovirus season on record.

The bug causes sickness, diarrhoea and headaches and can spread from person to person simply by touching the same objects as those with the illness. A total of 355 hospital wards in England and Wales have been closed to new patients, including four wards at North Staffordshire Hospital.

John Harris, an expert in the disease who works at the Health Protection Agency, said: “Having a norovirus infection is very unpleasant but it is short-lived and most people will fully recover in a couple of days.

“Make sure that you or anyone you are caring for takes plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.”